from the first local station with news in high definition. this is 9 news now, the week in review. good morning to you, i'm derek mcginty, welcome to this edition of 9 news now week in review. big news, that drive-by shooting on south capitol street on tuesday night. nine were shot and four died. all over a gold bracelet. one of the troubling aspects of the story is the allegation that the driver 69 van from which the shot was fired was only 14 years old. 9 news now learned he is the younger brother of the two other suspects in custody. audrey barnes spoke with several

corrections officer who is familiar with the family. >> reporter: the 14-year-old suspected of driving the get away van tuesday night is now in protective custody here at the d.c. youth rehabilitation services center in northeast. a corrections officer here who did not want to be identified says the boy is the younger brother of suspects orlando and san quan carter and has been in and out of this facility since he was 12, from assault to unauthorized use of a vehicle. >> carter asked for him when he was brought back to this facility. he said the teenager is very remorseful and claims to have been duped into giving his brothers and friend a ride. >> reporter: and then the passengers unloaded their weapons on a crowd in front of an apartment building on south capitol street. they killed four people and wounding five others. a shooting some say might have been avoided. d.c. police detectives went to the u.s. attorney's office a few

days before the shooting to get a warrant for orlando carter's arrest for a march 22 homicide. the prosecutors wouldn't take it to the judge, which is a decision many question now. >> i would expect if the police department can present a case, with as much information as they did in this one, that the next time this happens, that an arrest warrant will be issued. >> reporter: late today, the u.s. attorney issued this statement: we can approve arrest warrants when sufficient probable cause has been established. as far as the teen's involvement, he has apparently told corrections officers he didn't shoot anyone, just drove the van. audrey barnes, 9 news now. and as of the time of the taping of this broadcast, the police were still looking for a fourth suspect in the shooting, but now more on that 14-year-old. it may sound incomprehensible that somebody so young could find his way into so much

trouble. he had nine prior convictions. we talked to some men who do understand, because they have been there. >> simple assault to drugs, to -- it was numerous things, but that is back in the past. >> reporter: in the past but hardly forgotten by 20-year-old vincent floyd, who said that 14-year-old boy facing murder charges with nine prior convictions probably had a home life like floyd himself. >> my mother was into drugs, my father was an alcoholic. and so that growing up it just made me feel, pain aside, so i just turned to the streets where they showed me love. >> reporter: love and respect are the recurring themes here. when you come from very little, perhaps it's even more important that somebody knows your name. >> they want to be that dude, as they say on the streets. i want to be the one people look up to.

>> reporter: this 21-year-old said he didn't grow up in a particularly bad home, but sometimes he said kids do wrong as a cry for attention. >> i was out there hustling, you know what i'm saying? flashing guns? getting in all types of trouble with the law. >> reporter: just like that 14-year-old. and police say drove the getaway car in the drive-by shooting that took four lives tuesday night, he is now being held without bond. but as a juvenile, he's actually got it fairly easy for now, they say. but jail is a whole different ballgame. >> not being able to eat when you want to eat or what you want to eat. and you can't sleep in your own comfortable bed and being around people you don't want to be around. all of your privileges are gone. >> some call it sex for blankets. alleged scandal at a d.c. homeless shelter. some staff members use sex.

questions of oversight are raised here. the sheptd is now under fire. >> reporter: inadequate, deplorable, as people describe d.c. general's family shelter. the comments come during the six-hour public hearing that is supposed to be about hypothermia operations. but flaw more about sex with female residents with staff. the woman doubled p.h. wrote a letter to the mayor, explaining how staff offered small favors for sex. she did not want to go on camera, and she was shaken woman and told the council what happened to her here at d.c. family shelter. she was then joined by another woman who said she witnessed the same inappropriate sexual behavior in 2006. >> i just want people to know that she's not lying. >> reporter: 9 news now interviews the second woman off

camera. >> they were going on in stairwells, stairs, they got hired to look over us and to have sex with the residents. >> reporter: she claims she reported it to the two managers. they turned down our request for an interview, but had to answer publicly to council member tommy wells. >> families are currently at the shelter are the most vulnerable of circumstances, whether it is real or not, they have fear of retribution, fear of staff who are wanting to protect their jobs. >> reporter: staff told counsel said there is no excuse. they fired two employees who were having sex with residents. by the end of the week families forward was fired by the district of columbia. anti government group wants bob mcdonnell to step down or be removed from office. the guardians of the free

republic sent a letter saying as much to governor mcdonald and governors of 29 other states. the group's website says it wants to restore america by peacefully dismantling parts of the government. the fbi said the letters don't contain threats of violence. the number of marriage licenses issued here in d.c. has soared ever since same-sex marriage was legalized. . 1100 marriage applications have been filed in the last month alone and courthouse officials say that is nearly six times the average monthly count. this week republican delegate don dyer introduced improved impeachment of doug gans ler. the counsel said the chamber doesn't have the power to impeach the attorney general and dwyer's attempt can get him

removed from the chamber. you know what kills more police officers than guns or anything else? traffic accidents. local police agencies are involved in a lot of them. >> reporter: sometimes police-involved accidents are fatal. two are killed and 15 injured when a police chase went bad in may of 2007. a man was killed by a police officer who ran over him in a crosswalk on wisconsin avenue that year. but officers themselves are also at risk. >> traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for police officers. >> reporter: the washington examiner counted the number of police cars on the road for montgomery police and metropolitan police department and compared that to the number of accidents. it concludes roughly one-third of montgomery county police vehicles were in accidents, a half of police vehicles in d.c., and police say -- >> overall number of crashes are down, over 100 this past year. really if you look at it

realistically, we have 1500 vehicles on the road 24 hours -- 24 a day, seven days a week. so considering the number of crashes we're actually involved in, i would consider that low. >> reporter: burke says all cadets go through a week of training. >> when you're compared the training given in canada and the training given for driving in great britain, it is a whole lot more hours of training than we normally get in the united states. >> both towns towns say the problem is exacerbated that d.c. has the second most congested traffic in the country. drivers can help by doing what many forget to do, if you see a emergency vehicle in your rear-view mirror mere roshgs get out of its way. one woman and a teenage girl were attacked inside a metro station garage. they think the same man is behind the assaults at the largo station. they don't know why metro waited so long to tell the public.

surae chinn has more. >> it would have been nice to have been told about it. >> reporter: metro riders reacting tonight and are just now learning about violent attacks on metro property two months ago. >> it is not fair to the residents of this area, it is not fair to us. >> reporter: police say a woman who got off of the metro rail headed to her car in this parking garage. police say 19-year-old jonathan david duffy attacked her at knife-point and stole her car. police say it happened february 5. court records show six days later metro police spotted the woman's car back at the largo metro station. they also found duffy with a 13-year-old girl. court papers show he's charged with statutory rape in that case. but none of this was made public until now. >> they owe us as residents of this county, and i feel that kept it under wraps. >> reporter: 9 news now made repeated requests to talk to an

official on camera. they were denied. they delayed making the incidents public, they say, because they didn't want to compromise the investigation. the chairman, peter benjamin, gives another explanation. >> all of that was happening at the time. snowstorm and somehow or other, somebody in media relations did not get that out. >> some riders may say that is not a good enough excuse. >> i don't know what you say about the fact that somebody made a mistake. >> that is not an excuse. i take the metro every day and most of the times i have to walk from my house, so if somebody got raped they should make it their business to put it in the news. >> police say there were actually three sexual assaults on metro property or metro vehicles so far this year. and there was only one reported rape for all of last year. new this week, an update on the five northern virginia men of plotting terror attacks in pakistan. their trial started midweek. if convicted the men can face

life in prison. we have more. >> reporter: in pakistan, the police chief testified he had strong evidence that the five men planned to attack specific targets. he's one of the six witnesses who took the stand. five americans have said that they are innocent and that they were tortured in jail. they used to worship together at this mosque in alexandria until they went missing in november. a month later they were arrested in pakistan. one father attended the proceedings along with representatives of the u.s. consulate. pakistani authorities described the men as college students with intent on waging war against, quote, infidels towards the atrocities committed by them against muslims around the world. defense attorneys remain confident the men will remain

freed but the accusations have taken a hard toll on the family. >> very difficult. very difficult. >> reporter: the defense is expected to cast the five as curious young men, anxious to know more about the religion, and culture. and that trial resumes april 17th. he may have been looking for casual sex but a school teacher got himself arrested and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. police say 34-year-old advertised for sexual encounter on craigslist. a 15-year-old girl responded. we have the story. >> reporter: skip ashbrook is a fourth grade teacher at bennett elementary school. he is married and the father of three young children. police say he placed an ad on kragzlist looking for a casual encounter. what he got was sex in a car with a 15-year-old girl who responded to his craigslist ad. police describe it as a

consensual sexual encounter. >> i'm a teacher 17 years, and when i hear that, it's like they should tarred and feathered. >> he can write things on the chalkboard or whiteboard. he can't see the handwriting on the wall. >> reporter: in the gainesville community where ashbrook lives with his family, neighbors are stunned. they described him as a devoted family man. >> i'm shocked. it doesn't seem like the person i know. >> reporter: residents are just as surprised that under virginia law consensual sex with a 15-year-old is just a misdemeanor. >> that's a child. she's not an adult. she's a child. it is unfortunate but we hear about this all the time. >> there is a trust factor involved when you work with kids and he's just -- he has betrayed that. that is beyond sick. >> reporter: ashbrook taught at bennett elementary school since 2005. he is now on administrative leave. >> students in the county are on

spring back but ashbrook won't be back in that classroom when they return. we will be right back.

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welcome back. the maryland senate approved a ban on the distribution of salvia, an herb, to anyone under the age of 21, and prevents those same people from possessing. violators will be charged with a misdemeanor and a fine of 300 bucks. the bill moves on to the state house. meantime, d.c.'s medical marijuana bill moves forward. that would allow people to have two ounces of marijuana per month for medical use, only. that is about enough for one joint per day. the would not allow patients to grow their own marijuana. meantime, are doctors flip-flopping on the safety of

flip-flops? new research finds the shoes declared unsafe not too long ago, can be good for your knees. >> reporter: jim mcbride is a southern california flip-flop fanatic. >> how many pairs do you have? >> more than i can count. i have flip-flops in every color and all different styles, as well. >> reporter: there is evidence that her fashion choice can be doing her some good. a new study found that when wearing flip-flops there is 15% less load on knees than in other more stable shoes. >> as a runner, because i know i'm putting a certain amount of pressure on nigh knees daily, so i would tend to go towards something that would not do that when i'm not running. >> reporter: the study analyzed 31 people with osteo arthritis while they worked barefoot with flip-flops and other clogs worn by doctors and nurses and other brooks stability shoes. >> researchers say flip-flops are better for your knees than

stable shoes, because the natural flex of the foot lessens impact on the joint. when you wear stiff-soled shoes, you tend to stop. >> i tend to agree that a more cushioned-type shoe which some of these flip-flops are, could decrease the load to the knees. >> reporter: dr. steven wine feld is the chief of foot and ankle surgery at mt. sinai and he warns this research doesn't mean everybody should wear flip-flops. >> it offers no protection and the foot is exposed to the jierment. >> for jim mcbride, it is a matter of what feels comfortable. >> reporter: sandra hughes, cbs news, los angeles. doctors note that when flip-flops wear thin, it is time to get a new pair. worn-down soles can laws long-term damage to ankles and feet. taxes are a pain and doing them can be time consuming and costly.

there is nothing can you do with how much you owe for 2009, but we have tips how to save you cash next year. >> reporter: if you have been thinking about green home ichlt improvements, this is the year to do them. federal tax incentives are set to expire at the end of 2010. it will pay for 30% of these green projects up to $1500. add insulation. pick a product that meets international energy conservation code standards. replace old windows and doors that will keep the drafts out and the heat or air conditioning in. replace an aging appliance, be it a refrigerator, furnace or air conditioner, or hot water heater. the new models will earn you a tax credit. a new roof will, too. instead of standard shingles, try a metal or asphalted roof. which ever project you choose, you won't receive the free money where you buy the product, you claim the credit on your federal income tax form at the end of

the year. if you have a tax tip for jessica, e-mail us at wusa9.com. ongoing construction project on chain bridge is causing headaches for drivers but earlier this week they had something else to navigate around. crooked lines on the road. we tried to get it trait. >> looked like a mishap. >> reporter: it certainly is surprising, almost no one expects a center line to look like this. >> do you think that is a d.w.i. test for this weekend. >> reporter: many drivers are turning on to this bridge from canal rode. this yellow line is not where it should be and it causes them to lose their confidence. >> i think it can be a hazard, i guess, if you're not paying attention and all of a sudden you are looking at the road and then all of a sudden you're all over the place. >> these men are working under the bridge but say it is hard to ignore the lines on top. >> if i saw lines like that, i

would be in trouble, yes, i would. they should take them up for right now. >> reporter: most people agree. >> i think they need to peel it up and straighten it out. >> someone needs to come down here and take these up and put them back down in a nice straight line. >> turns out those crooked lines were caused by some heavy rains we had earlier in the week. crews were out on wednesday and they got the lines all straightened out. in today's economy, it is hitting everybody, even the tax pros who are also dealing with the rising popularity of that do-it-yourself software. in tonight's consumer alert, how your loss can be your gain. >> reporter: she loved taking photos for her business, what she doesn't love is doing her taxes. >> i want to spend time with my family and doing my photography and the last thing i want to worry about is having my taxes not done right or not done on time. >> reporter: she turns to a tax preparer, but with the shaky economy and rising popularity of cheap on-line soft waeshgs many americans are choosing to leave the pros behind and go it alone.

some tax preparers are seeing as much as a 13% drop in business compared to last year to stay relevant, tax professionals need to give more value that is simply -- more than just simply preparing a tax return. free one on one consultations and referral bonuses are being offered. >> every client who refers us to another client saves $50 on their tax return as does the person they refer. >> reporter: you'll find them offering $20 coupons on line to 50% off for the unemployed. other preparers are offering early-bird specials. >> we don't have to be working very hard at the last minute, we can save you that same money back. >> to entice new cust americas some tax repairers are using the

social media site, facebook and twitter to offer free advice. maryland and d.c. government offices are offering free clinics. go to our website, wusa9.com. the peak bloom is drawing huge crowds down at the tidal basin. it is expected to last through today. we have more from the tidal basin. >> reporter: to pick or not to pick. that is the question for many visitors to washington's cherry blossom festival. >> was there any cherry blossom picking going on today? >> nope. >> maybe a little. >> i wanted to take them, but my mom read a book and it said you're not allowed to pick them. >> i pulled the branch down to look at it and my mother-in-law is like, don't do that, you're not supposed to touch them. >> most people know you're not supposed to pick the blossoms, but did you know that it is actually illegal? >> oh, my goodness. >> under title 36 of the code of

federal regulations, if you are damaging tree s willfully and maliciously you can be placed under arrest, and if you're from out of town you might have your vacation extended in the district of columbia. >> i always abide by the cherry blossom law. >> reporter: maybe not all the law s they let petty first-time offenders off easy. >> we want the folks to understand that our goal is not to arrest people for this, we just want to educate them, that these are rich cultural trees and we wan to make sure that everybody who wants to look at them has that opportunity. >> what is your favorite part about them? >> getting to smell them? >> what do they smell like? >> a lot of wonderful things. >> are you going to pick any cherry blossoms? >> no, way. and there are some things to consider, if you want to take the perfect picture while you're checking out those cherry

blossoms. one photographer we spoke to said it takes more than just the proper framing and lighting and composition, to make a really memorable photo. >> just a matter of making the picture -- making sure what is in the view-finder or in the screen is interesting and not boring. >> sounds straightforward, but i guess it is harder than what it looks like. if you can't get it right, then there a professional selling of photographs and you can get one. that is our program. i'm derek mcginty. thanks for watching 9 news now and we'll see you later. # ♪

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